Dayton, Ohio-based Grandview Medical Center has continued to light a cross on its roof as a gesture of support for employees and residents affected by the planned closure of Dayton-based Good Samaritan Hospital, according to the Dayton Daily News.
A spokesperson for Grandview Medical Center told the Dayton Daily News the hospital obtained the cross from a nearby hospital that shuttered roughly 18 years ago. Officials have continued to light the cross, which is normally only lit during the holiday season, as "an expression of their support for the West Dayton community," according to the report.
"The cross, which came to Grandview from [Franciscan Medical Center] after it closed, is a meaningful symbol for this community," the spokesperson said.
Mary Boosalis, president and CEO of Dayton-based Premier Health, which owns Good Samaritan Hospital, previously said an increasingly competitive healthcare landscape and an inefficient use of space were major contributors to officials' decision to close the hospital.
Officials expect to close the hospital by the end of the year, according to the report.